For over a year now, the construction industry in the US has been suffering from a paralyzing lack of skilled workers–inhibiting some companies’ abilities to deliver projects on- time and drive revenue. There are three issues at play:
An aging workforce. 41% of current US construction workers are expected to retire by 2031.
Very few new skilled workers entering the industry. Only about 9% of US construction workers are 16-24 years old; that’s less than the employment share of this age group in every other industry.
Wage inflation and project delays caused in part by the issues described above. Six in ten firms reported experiencing delays due to workforce shortages, leading to projects being cancelled or postponed.
Can wider use of robotics and automation in the construction industry support field ops leaders responsible for delivering projects on-time and on-budget, and work to fix these problems?
CAN ROBOTS IN CONSTRUCTION HELP EASE THE LOAD ON AGING WORKERS?
The average retirement age of a construction worker is 61, and studies have shown that productivity begins to decline 10 years before.4 This is, in part, due to the traditionally manual and physically demanding work required in this field.
Technology is already used across other industries to automate manual tasks. This, often, serves the purpose of helping these tasks become more accessible, and in many cases, less physically demanding. In other words, technology acts as one important method of better supporting workers.
The construction inspection force in particular is an aging one, with a median age of 53. Remote inspection technology can help these skilled workers stay working longer. Remote inspections involve an on-site person streaming video of the object to be inspected to a skilled inspector off site. Part-time remote work is often more attractive to senior inspectors because it’s safer, more flexible, and more efficient.
While some people’s initial reaction to the idea of new technology might be negative, this tends to disappear if a solution has been implemented properly and is simple to use. In fact, according to James Eaton, Head of Digital Delivery at McLaren Construction Group, people are better at adapting to use digital tools than they believe they are.
“Most of the pushback I get is not anything to do with the actual technology,” he said. “People might say ‘oh no, no, we’re not doing that’, but they’ve got a smartphone in their pocket and are quite happy to search for a song on Spotify ... they live in a world, in their personal lives, where everything is at their fingertips, but they walk through the door at work and that attitude changes in their work environment, which is a bizarre situation.”
Overcoming these cynical attitudes is less about addressing people’s ability to adapt to using a new digital platform or device, and more about understanding the context of its use, Eaton explained. “The only way to get through the [technology] adoption piece is 1) declutter it and make it very specific to the tasks that they’re doing and 2) choose a tool that’s fairly intuitive and pretty simple to use.”
CAN TECHNOLOGY HELP ATTRACT YOUNGER WORKERS?
Currently, digitalization is lower in the AEC sector than in nearly any other industry. Yet young people actively search for tech-based career opportunities. According to Quocircas’ research study on ‘The Future of Work, 2025’, 27% of young workers between the ages of 18-34 believe technology plays a pivotal role in the future workplace. 13% of employees within the same age range view working with outdated technology as a reason for leaving their current job.8 So if construction can speed up its adoption of new technologies, it might be able to better attract these workers. Conversely, it can also improve the world of work for construction workers that have been in the industry for a long time.
David Philp, Chief Value Officer at the Cohesive Group, gives the example of Scotland trialing the manufacture of the first Gen Zero classrooms (via the Built Environment - Smarter Transformation) made possible by specialist advanced manufacture equipment and processes. Not only does this attract younger people concerned with the environment, but is also an impressive feat for the construction industry–surely contributing to more interest from students about the potential of a career in this industry.
Other industries are already taking this approach. The UK Armed Forces’ Medical Emergency Response Team use virtual reality to support future training. This high-tech solution simulates a Chinook helicopter to help medical personnel train for battlefield incidents. Not only does this make simulations as realistic as possible, but this tech-led training presents a key way to excite and attract younger audiences who want to see technology integrated into every aspect of their working lives. There is no reason why the construction industry can’t do the same.
EVEN WITH A DEPLETED WORKFORCE, CAN TECHNOLOGY HELP DELIVER MORE EFFICIENCIES AND DRIVE REVENUE?
The recruitment benefit of adopting technology is one solution to the problem, but it’s a long-term one. What about companies struggling with a depleted workforce right now? What does technology have to offer them?
New technology can help stabilize construction projects, even with a depleted workforce. For example, robotics and automation in construction industry are already helping layout professionals complete jobs efficiently and cost-effectively. This frees up your workforce, enabling you to get maximum potential out of your current worker’s time. For this reason, 81% of construction companies are looking into using robotics in the next 10 years, according to ABB Robotics, while 55% said they already use robots, mostly to increase safety and sustainability on jobsites.
